‘Doctor Who’ to name new lead actor on TV Sunday

One of the most hotly anticipated announcements of the TV world will be made during an unprecedented special Sunday: Who will succeed Matt Smith to become the 12th time-traveling Doctor on “Doctor Who”?

The news will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. Sunday within a half-hour broadcast on BBC America. The actor playing the new Doctor will be interviewed. Will the successor be a fresh face or an established star? Young, middle-aged, old, a woman?

Meanwhile, the extremely popular Smith will be seen as the Doctor for the last time on the “Who” Christmas Special Dec. 25. At the end, he’ll regenerate and become the new Doctor, played by the actor who’ll be revealed on Sunday.

Prior to that, Smith will be part of the big 50th Anniversary special, alongside former “Doctor Who” staples David Tennant and Billie Piper, to be telecast on Nov. 23 on BBC America.

At a press session in Beverly Hills last week, Smith sounded wistful – and a little uncertain — about vacating easily the most prominent role of his career.

“It’s, like, the closest you’ll ever get to being a rock star, I think,” he said at the Television Critics’ Association.

Smith, who’s inhabited the role for four years, said of his leaving: “It’s a good time for me and for the show. But I’ve had a great time. I’ll miss it, and it was a hard choice. It wasn’t an easy choice to make.

“I have pondered it on several occasions,” he added, “and I ponder it and think, ‘I’ve made a huge mistake. What am I doing? Don’t leave.’ ”

At a grand “Doctor Who” party held for TV critics at Soho House in West Hollywood – that was full of “Who” figures, including a Dalek, an Ood and two Cybermen — Smith and his co-star Jenna Coleman, his current companion on the show, looked more merry than melancholy. They also were amazingly adept at avoiding interviews with TV writers…at least about anything serious, such as the show or Smith’s upcoming movie from Ryan Gosling, “How to Make a Monster.”

One thing he would talk about, when I approached him, was his love for wild and colorful socks. Check out the striped pair (in photo) that he wore at his BBC America press conference.